The Exorcism of Frederick Charles Krueger
by InkHarbor
Summary: Alternate ending to NOES 6:FD. Instead of blowing him up, Katherine decides to take a less conventional route to protect the world from the infamous dream demon, and maybe even save what's left of his soul. Rated M for violence and some sexual content.


**A/N: This is probably the weirdest thing I've ever written. I still have no idea what part of my brain it clawed it's way out of.  
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**WARNING: CONTAINS GRAPHIC VIOLENCE AND ADULT LANGUAGE.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own _A Nightmare on Elm Street_ or any of its characters.  
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Katherine jerked the steering wheel all the way to the right, and the van screeched as it struggled to make the sharp turn. It sped down the road, running two red lights.

She glanced over her shoulder, into the cabin of the vehicle. The limp body of her father had slid across the empty floor space and into the side wall. The crown of Freddy's head met the floor on an angle, his hands bound with wire and rope behind his back. His over turned hat lay beside him.

Glancing at the rear view mirror, Katherine wiped a shaky hand over her forehead, and down to the back of her neck. Doc wasn't following her. That was good. He probably didn't realize she was gone, yet. But when he did, and when he figured out that she'd taken Freddy along for the ride, he'd be after her. That's what a good friend would do.

She knew Doc had the best intentions at heart, but he would never understand her reasons for doing this. No matter what Freddy had done, he was family. She couldn't kill him. And when Doc had told her about the dream demons, and how they'd possessed her father, she thought maybe she didn't have to. Maybe there was another way.

She'd held that damned glove. Slipped it onto her hand, and felt its power. It was intoxicating. If she could barely resist it, how much more impossible would it have been for Freddy, who'd been abused and denied power his whole childhood?

She was ripped from her thoughts as she arrived at her destination. The large, white van turned into the parking lot. The driver's side door opened, and Katherine stepped out, shielding her eyes against the high afternoon sun as she stared up at the imposing St. Peter's Cathedral.

Stone steps led up to heavy, shellacked mahogany double doors with polished brass knockers. Katherine pushed them open and slipped inside. It seemed empty, which made sense on a weekday. The sound of her heels on the marble floor echoed high into the dome ceiling. Pieces of stained glass fit together like colorful jigsaw puzzles in the long windows that lined the sanctuary.

But there was no time to admire any of this. Katherine all but ran past the ruler-straight rows of pews, until she reached the altar.

She was about to call out, to see if anyone was there, when a young man in an ankle length black garment appeared in the doorway of a side room. He approached her with a bright smile.

"Hello, my child. Can I help you?" the priest's voice was calm and sympathetic, almost like a therapist's.

She eyed him without saying a word. He was young, and probably inexperienced. Would he know what to do? Does _she_ even know what she's doing?

She stepped closer to him, and he looked more and more confused every second.

She guessed this was what faith was.

"Yes. You can."

**xxxxx**

The back doors of the van creaked open, and Katherine studied the priest's face for a reaction. He seemed to be more shocked by Freddy's burn scars than anything else; she wasn't sure if he even noticed the ropes.

He swallowed a lump. "What did you do to his face, my child?"

"What?" Katherine shrieked, "No, no, I didn't do that. I mean, I was _gonna _blow him up, which probably would have made it worse, but I changed my mind."

He was starring at her, even more horrified than before.

"I know this doesn't look good, but he needs help." She pleaded.

He gave her a look like he thought _she _was the one that needed help.

"And you want me to…exorcise him?"

"Yes."

Dammit. She didn't think it was going to sound that ridiculous out loud.

"I'm sorry, but only the Vatican can authorize something like this."

She bit her lip. "Right. Well, here's the thing. No one's ever going to authorize anything for him, because he's…" she trailed off into silence, unsure of how to say the rest. The priest simply stared, waiting for her to finish.

"Dead?" she muttered through a nervous smile.

The priest's eyes grew wide, and he backed away from Katherine, crossing himself and uttering a muted prayer. Her hands flew up in defense as she offered her explanation. "Don't worry- he can still talk and move around, and stuff, but only in your dreams."

He was deathly pale by the time he'd finished praying.

"It is a guilty conscience that gives us those kinds of dreams, my child. We need to call the police, so that you can repent and find forgiveness."

"For the last time, I didn't kill him. And stop calling me that, my name's Maggie!"

"Your _name_ is Katherine." Freddy growled from right behind her, rubbing his sore head. Screaming, Katherine spun around and punched him out cold. She hissed and shook out her hand. Then she looked up at the priest with pleading eyes.

"There's nothing else I can do." she said, "He's got a soul in there somewhere, and if I can't help him, then I'm going to have to kill him. Or else, he'll just continue using his powers to hurt people."

"Hurt people?" the priest questioned.

"He's also a serial child murderer. I probably should have told you that sooner."

He pinched the bridge of his nose, looking a bit light headed, and choked out,  
"Anything else?"

"He's my dad."

Whether the priest believed her, or was just too scared to disobey her, Katherine wasn't sure. He searched her eyes for any sign of wicked intent.

"Help me get him in." he sighed.

**xxxxx**

As they were propping him up on one of the pews, Katherine flinched at the sound of a sharp gasp behind her. She looked over her shoulder and saw a nun, no older than twenty, with a hand over her open mouth.

"Father Mason," she addressed the priest, waiting for him to explain what was going on.

"Hold that door for us, Sister Caroline." the priest straightened up, and wiped at his sweaty forehead.

She did as he asked, sensing the urgency in his tone. He scooped up Freddy's legs, as Katherine hooked her arms under her father's shoulders, and together they hauled him to the left of the altar, where Sister Caroline was waiting.

"Into the cellar?" she called after them as they grunted down the creaky stair case, "What's all this for?"

Katherine ignored her questions. She spotted a heavy oak table against the wall, by a dusty bookshelf. A long spider web connected them, the Black Widow in its center laying claim to both objects. Katherine swiped the web away. She and the priest gritted their teeth and strained to lift the slab of solid wood as the distressed spider climbed out of its mangled, ruined web.

"Here's fine." she panted, and they sighed with relief when the colossal piece of furniture was out of their hands.

Katherine approached Freddy where he lay, knocked out on the floor. She toed him in the shoulder, and when there was no response, she bent down and began dragging him across the cellar floor. With the priest's help, she hauled him up onto the table, and her fingers went to work, loosening Freddy's ties. She wrapped the free rope around one of the table legs, and secured it to her father's wrist. She did the same for the other wrist, and his ankles, then stood at the foot of the table. Yanking off her hair band, she raked her fingers through her dark chocolate-brown hair, and pulled it all back into a low ponytail.

She stared intently at Freddy, who lay with his arms and legs stretched out to the corners of the table.

Sister Caroline was standing on the third to the last step, making no effort to hide how disturbed she was by the situation before her.

"Will you tell me what's happening? Who are theses people?" she asked again.

"If you'll please just go to my study, there's a book in the bottom drawer of the desk. The key for it is taped to the wall behind the oil painting of the blessed virgin. Bring it here, and you'll know what this is all about."

She gave him a skeptical half-glare, and climbed back up the stairs.

After a few minutes of tense silence, she was back. Her eyes were locked on Freddy as she went around the table and held out a slim, black leather bound book to the priest. A red silk bookmark hung out from between the closed pages like a forked tongue. He hesitated to open it, his hands growing pale and clammy.

"An exorcism?" Sister Caroline's voice was nearly trembling. Katherine, who'd been standing mute at her father's feet, turned to the nun.

"If you can't handle it, get the hell out of here." she said in an even, matter-of-fact tone, before training her gaze back on Freddy.

The priest was about to say something to both of them, when their captive began to stir. His eyelids twitched, and a semiconscious grumble escaped his throat. His furrowed brow wrinkled the knots in his scarred flesh that twisted across his face and head, disappearing under the frayed collar of his striped sweater. He opened his eyes and tried to sit up. That's when he felt the resistance on his wrists. Lifting his head, he found Katherine standing at the other end of the table. He watched her, his mouth stretching back into a grin that displayed his rotten teeth.

"Hi, sweetheart." he crooned.

She looked at the priest and nodded for him to begin. He fumbled through the crinkling pages to find his place. Pinning down a passage with his index finger, he approached Freddy and stood over him.

"I am speaking to the unclean spirits inside this child of God. You will release him before this day is over."

Freddy scoffed, leaning up closer to him. "I've never been too sure who my daddy is, but I can guarantee you, it ain't God."

He spotted his glove and hat on the floor. Following his line of sight, Katherine went to pick them up. She put the fedora on top of a short, wide chest of drawers, then threw the glove at the nun.

"Lock that away." she ordered.

Sister Caroline examined the blades with disgust, and pulled open one of the deeper drawers, dropping it in and snatching up the ring of keys that they'd kept inside the chest. She inserted the silver key into the lock, turning it with a harsh click. Then she slipped it off the jangling ring and placed it in the center of Katherine's outstretched hand.

The nun shivered under Freddy's gaze, but the priest soon reclaimed his attention.

"Tell me your names, demons." he said, turning up from the small book.

Freddy laughed, looking to Katherine, then to the priest, then back to Katherine. "Exorcism? That's what you dragged me here for? I hope you got a back up plan." he mocked.

"I do." she lifted the bottom of her aqua sweater, flashing the handle of the revolver that stuck out from her waistband.

"Well, at least you didn't get your brains from your mother." he said, one half of his mouth curling up in a sardonic smile.

The priest, having recovered from the shock of seeing the gun, swallowed hard and stepped between the two. "Don't acknowledge him, Maggie. It'll only give the demons a stronger foothold." he warned.

"Shut the fuck up," Freddy barked, "I'm trying to have a conversation with my daughter."

But Katherine was already ignoring him, looking at the wall. Freddy snickered, resting the back of his head on the table.

"Tell me you name." the priest insisted.

Freddy licked his lips. "Rumplestiltskin, bitch."

Trying to hide his growing frustration, the priest turned away and dragged a hand over his face. He spun back around, slamming his palms down on the wooden surface.

"Give up your name!" he shouted.

Freddy was silent, somber even. He heaved a sigh and looked into the priest's eyes, deathly serious.

"My name was Lola," he began, "I was a showgirl. With yellow feathers in my hair, and a dress cut down to there." He looked down at his crotch, then at Katherine, popping his eyebrows suggestively. Or rather, the burnt skin where his eyebrows once were, long ago.

"Enough with the games, devil." the priest insisted, knuckles whitening on his clenched fists.

"Alright," Freddy groaned, "let's just get this the hell over with. Come here, pip squeak." The nun flinched back as Freddy locked eyes with her.

"Leave her out of this." the priest said.

Freddy glowered at him. "I'm not telling anyone else, so either she gets her scrawny ass over here, or we're all gonna be stuck in this kinky little dungeon of yours until kingdom come." he concluded.

Katherine and Farther Mason watched as the nun stepped forward. She hesitated a few feet away.

"Closer." Freddy coaxed.

Shuffling her feet, she moved towards him until her hips were touching the table's corner.

"Closer," he said through a twisted smirk.

She turned her head to the side and bent over him. When she was a few inches above him, his slimy tongue shot out of his mouth, attacking the folds of her ear. She reeled back in disgust, stifling a scream.

When he saw the frustration in Katherine's dark eyes, he cackled. "What's wrong, princess? I was just helping her clean out her ears. Did Carlos not tell you how good I am at it?"

Gravelly laughter ripped from his throat, as he threw his head back. Katherine tried to push the thought of her former patient out of her mind. It scared her that she wasn't angry at her father for what he did to that poor boy.

The priest ran to Sister Caroline, whose trembling hands were tucking some unruly tufts of blonde hair back under her headdress.

"That's it. We're taking a short break." he stated, placing a hand on the nun's back to guide her towards the stairs. They rushed up and through the door. Katherine mounted one foot on the bottom step, about to follow them.

"Katherine," Freddy called.

She glanced over her shoulder, eyes narrow with suspicion. "What?"

"I'm thirsty." he said.

When she just stood there, he snorted. "I didn't ask to be pulled into this world, but if I'm gonna be here, then I need the same things you do."

She was almost shocked by the mellowness of his voice. She went to her handbag, which was resting against the bookshelf, and began rummaging through it. A moment later, she produced a half empty plastic water bottle, and brought it to her father, twisting off the cap. He lifted his head, and she put the rim to his parched lips. A thin stream of water ran from the corner of his mouth as she tipped the bottle down.

When he finished, she screwed the cap back on. The way he was watching her as she put it away caught her off guard.

"My offer still stands, you know." Freddy said, "You could join me. Do what I do."

She felt all the defensive words that she wanted to fire at him tangle up in her throat.

He went on, "If I wanted you dead, I could have done it anytime. You were a defenseless child with pretty hair ribbons in my world."

Katherine didn't want to acknowledge it, but he was right. He could have killed her ten times over by now. But he didn't, and she didn't either, for the same reason. They were family.

"All the pictures you drew me, all the times you were my little helper with the housework- none of that can even come close to how proud I was of you when you put on my glove. It fit you like it was made for you." he purred, eyes gleaming, "Maybe it was."

She found herself gravitating towards the locked dresser, sensing the glove inside. She wanted to feel that again. The rough, broken-in fabric, the weight of the steel blades hanging from her finger tips.

She placed a hand on top of the chest, letting it slide down the front, to the drawer handle. Freddy grinned as he watched her forefinger glide over the rusted hardware.

"Maggie?" the priest said from halfway down the stair case. He and the nun reached the bottom, as Katherine jerked her hand up to the dresser top, patting it.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Just making sure it's all locked up tight." she smiled.

The priest nodded. He saw Katherine staring at the deep basin in his hands, and answered her question before she asked it.

"It's holy water." he lifted it up, tipping it so she could see the crystal clear liquid lapping up the sides.

"They already tried that." Freddy roared with laughter, gesturing towards himself with his tied down hands, "I'm still here."

The priest dipped his fingers into the water, and threw droplets into Freddy's face. Every point of contact sizzled into evaporation. Freddy gnashed his teeth, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Oh, no." he cried out, "Don't burn my face. I'll be hideous."

His snickers were cut short as the priest dragged his thumb over Freddy's scarred forehead, leaving behind the burning sign of the cross.

"I command you to come out of him, demons." he said. Freddy only laughed at him.

Clenching his jaw, the priest lifted the smooth, wooden basin up in both hands, and tipped it.

Searing holy water splattered into Freddy's nose an mouth, gagging him. He turned his head to the side to escape it, but the priest yanked his face forward, holding it still. Between gasps for breath, he sputtered and choked.

"Katherine," he called out in a hoarse voice.

The nun crossed herself and ran up the stairs, unable to watch such a brutal display.

"That's enough." Katherine said, "Stop it."

"Stand back." the priest ordered.

Katherine watched on with a sense of helplessness and confusion as Father Mason drowned Freddy in an even wider stream.

"You're hurting him." she insisted, nearly shouting.

"We have to keep going, The demons are struggling to stay inside him now. If I stop, they win." he said, with grim resolution.

When the last drop rolled off the rim of the bowl and hit Freddy's cheek, everything was silent. Out of the silence, came a low chuckle.

"See?" Freddy grinned up at the priest, "Still here."

Father Mason grasped him by the arms and began shaking him violently.

"Out, demons. Out." he shouted, spit flying from his mouth.

"Ain't gonna work." Freddy said.

The priest slipped off his silver plated cross necklace, and pressed it into Freddy's forehead. It covered the thumb cross he'd drawn, and made a hissing sound, like water in hot oil. He pushed the cross in deeper. As it sank into his flesh, Freddy jerked against his ties and arched his back off the surface of the table. He came back down, convulsing and thrashing. The strands of the ropes began to fray with the force he was putting on them. The tie on his right wrist snapped, and he shoved the priest away before slipping out of the other three knots. He stood from the table and seized Father Mason's upper arms, letting his nails dig in. He threw the shocked man into the wall and turned to Katherine, who stood, frozen, on the opposite side of the room. Recovering from her lapse, she drew out the hand gun and aimed it at his chest.

He stalked towards her.

"Where's the key?" he loomed over his daughter, closing his hand over the revolver. He pried it out of her grasp like she was asleep. She braced her hands on the edge of the chest behind her.

When she didn't respond, he clutched her throat, bending her backwards over the dresser top. He leaned in and asked again, "Where is it?"

He felt the blood trying to pulse past his grip, and the breath restricted in her crushed airway. The veins on his hand bulged as he squeezed, cutting it off completely. This was power.

Her open mouth made no sound, but her eyes were screaming for him to stop. And he did. She broke into a coughing fit, her body trembling.

"Give it to daddy, sweetheart." he murmured into her ear.

She reached down to her sock, slipping inside it and pulling out the silver key.

She was about to place it in his palm, when the priest tackled him. The key clattered onto the floor, as Father Mason struggled to keep Freddy down. They grunted and wrestled, pushing against each other. Freddy noticed his daughter stooping to pick up the key. "Do it, Katherine." he snarled, flipping the priest over.

She stuck it in the lock and turned it, sliding the drawer open.

"Don't," the priest begged.

She took up the glove, holding it in both hands. A satisfied smile darkened Freddy's face. His child and his glove, together. Beautiful.

Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, the priest threw him off. He snatched up his cross necklace and pushed it against Freddy's heart. The wool hairs of his sweater singed and curled.

"In the name of God," the priest said with conviction, "leave this man."

And with those words, Freddy fell unconscious.

For a while, the only sound in the room was Father Mason's ragged breathing. He was on guard the moment Freddy woke up.

He blinked open his eyes, wide and blue. Moving to sit, he scanned his surroundings with a furrowed brow.

"Who are you?" he asked the priest.

There was no reply, but Freddy seemed to forget all about him as his gaze settled on his daughter. She saw the tiny spark of recognition just behind his eyes.

"Daddy?" she put the glove down behind her.

He leaned forward, awestruck. "Is that you, Katherine?"

She gave a slow nod, and he stood, examining her.

"When did you grow up?" he asked, looking as if he could laugh or cry at any moment.

"You were gone for a long time, daddy." she said, then pointed to the priest. "He brought you back."

Freddy rushed to Katherine, wrapping her up in a long over-due hug. The priest followed him, standing beside the two. Katherine broke the embrace and smiled, sniffling just a bit. She went to the table and started untying the ropes, her thoughts soaring.

"So, I have you to thank, then?" Freddy smiled at the young priest.

"Don't mention it." he smiled back.

Freddy placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"No, really. What can I do to repay you?" he insisted.

"You owe me nothing. I'm just glad this is all over." the priest said.

"But I have to do something. You gave my daughter back to me."

"Well, I guess a simple 'thank you' would do." the young man shrugged.

Clamping his hand down on the base of the priest's neck, Freddy reached behind him for the glove, and drove it up into his gut.

"Thank you." Freddy grinned.

Adjusting the glove at his wrist, Freddy turned to Katherine. The priest collapsed behind him, gurgling.

Katherine was backing up, and Freddy matched her every step until she hit the wall. He was on her in an instant, his bare hand on the grimy cement at the side of her head. She stood as motionless as a cornered animal. He dragged his claw up her chest lightly, letting the tips of his blades catch on her sweater's threads. It moved over her collar bone, past her throat, which bobbed with a dry swallow, and up to her jaw line. The back of his index finger blade caressed her cheek.

"It was always supposed to be you and me." he said, tracing his knife-point over her bottom lip. "Give daddy a goodbye kiss."

She complied, leaning forward and placing a small kiss on the rough surface of his cheek.

Before she pulled back, he slid one knife through her sweater, straight into her heart. Her mouth flew open as wide as her eyes. A deep, black stain spread out over her chest, and her legs felt like hollow straws. They buckled under her. Freddy caught her, letting her down slowly. She drew one final breath as her head fell forward.

"Kids," Freddy said, looking down at his dead child, slumped against the wall.

He grabbed his hat off the dresser and went up the stairs, passing the nun at the altar. She didn't say a word as he shot her a wink and pulled the brown hat over his head.

He left the sanctuary and disappeared, leaving the mahogany doors creaking shut in his wake. The draft that blew in chilled her as she ran to a front window. Peering out, she watched him walk down the center of the street, between the circles of light cast down from the newly lit street lamps.

He moved with an easy swing of his arms, out for a stroll in the peaceful evening air. She stared at the back of his head, then tipped her ear towards the window pane. A faint, whistled tune drifted outside the building. It was muffled, but she could have sworn it was _the Copacabana_.

-The End-

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**Thank you for reading! As always, your reviews, questions, keyboard mashings, journal entries, and/or hit lists are more than welcomed. Leave them in the box.**


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